Automatic ice making devices have been incorporated into the freezer section of household refrigerators for many years. Generally, because of the limited space in a typical freezer, there is an advantage to having a compact ice maker. Ice making device, generally larger than those in a household refrigerator, are also included in commercial ice making machines and soft drink vending/dispensing machines.
Ice makers also include an ice bin or an ice tray, generally made of metal or plastic, for receiving water and forming and storing ice cubes until ready for use. Additionally, ice making devices are mounted by known means within the refrigerator/freezer or vending machine. Ice making devices, whether household or commercial, also include an ice detecting component or sensors for indicating when the ice tray is full and ready for harvesting, and a drive unit for moving the ice tray between an ice making position and a harvesting position.
During ice harvest, rotation of the tray is required with enough force to loosen the ice within the tray, but without excessive torque that may damage the tray and shorten the life of the tray. Prior ice makers did not include a motor that would permit accurate control over the ice harvesting process, and specifically control the amount of torque and rotational direction applied to the ice tray.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a miniaturized motor assembly having a compact arrangement within a gear box for use in the ice making section of a refrigerator, freezer or other ice making appliance for loosening and harvesting ice from an ice tray.
It would also be advantageous to provide a miniaturized motor assembly for use in the ice making section of a refrigerator, freezer or other ice making appliance for moving an ice tray between a storage position and a harvesting position.
It would further be advantageous to provide a miniaturized motor assembly for use in the ice making section of a refrigerator, freezer or other ice making appliance for loosening and harvesting the ice cubes from the ice tray with minimal force exerted on the tray.
It would also be advantageous to provide a miniaturized motor assembly for use in the ice making section of a refrigerator, freezer or other ice making appliance adapted for detecting ice levels and harvesting time.
It would further be advantageous to provide a miniaturized motor assembly having a gear train assembly capable of operating and moving an ice tray in multiple directions for proper ice harvest without stress on the ice tray components.
It would also be advantageous to provide a miniaturized motor assembly having a gear train assembly capable of operating an ice tray component through a plurality of stages to release ice from the ice tray component.
The present disclosure provides these and other advantages which will become readily apparent from the detailed description, which follows.